Murray digs deep to reach last eight

Tennis:Fourth seed Andy Murray battled into the French Open quarter-finals by beating Viktor Troicki 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-2 7-5 today after the pair returned to court for a one-set shootout.

Play was suspended late last night due to bad light after Murray, carrying an ankle injury, had fought back superbly to level the match at two sets all.

Troicki was angered at the start of the sixth game of the last set when a ball boy inexplicably ran on to the court right in front of the Serb as he was winning the point with a smash.

The umpire ordered them to replay the point which Murray won, leading to more rage from Troicki and boos from a crowd sympathetic to the blushing boy.

Murray faced defeat in the decider when trailing 5-3 and 30-15 on Court Suzanne Lenglen, but he got the break back and also broke in the next to finally break the Serbian's spirit.

He then served out the match, despite squandering three set points, to win five games in a row and will now face Juan Ignacio Chela in the quarter-final.

The fourth seed had certainly been in the ascendancy when play was called off but the real worry for the Scot's fans was the manner in which he had started the match.

With his ankle clearly still a problem, the 24-year-old lost the opening five games in double-quick time, and it was not until the joint loosened up that he managed to play anything like his best tennis.

Murray sensibly practised until 20 minutes before the resumption today in an effort to prevent the same thing happening and he was rewarded with a break point in the first game.

He could not take it but another chance arrived in Troicki's next service game. The Serb was under the cosh but he produced a superb forehand to save that one as well.

Murray's luck was certainly in at the start of the sixth game when, with Troicki about to smash away a winner, a ball boy inexplicably ran on to the court meaning the point had to be replayed.

The 15th seed argued his case at length to no avail but he still created his first break point of the day when Murray mistimed a forehand, and he took full advantage to lead 4-2.

Troicki was playing the big points much better than his opponent and he again turned to the drop shot to save Murray's third break point before a forehand on to the baseline took him to within one game of a famous victory.

Murray's record in five-set matches is very good and before today he had won four of the five in which he had trailed by two sets, including in the first round here last year against Richard Gasquet.

He certainly left it late this time, and when Troicki was 30-0 serving at 5-3, Murray was two points from defeat. But the Serb tightened up and this time the Scot did break through.

The fourth seed was struggling to find winners but Troicki's resistance was fading and, after Murray had squandered two break points at 5-5, the Serb dumped a tame backhand into the net to leave the 24-year-old serving for the match.

There was still time for some late drama as Murray let a 40-0 lead slip back to deuce but he took his fourth match point with a brilliant backhand winner to reach the last eight at Roland Garros for the second time in his career.